Klitschko leads cleanfest in Kiev as protesters burn tires (VIDEO)

Kiev’s mayor took part in clearing away some of the barricades erected by Maidan protesters in the city’s main square. He said he had reached a deal with the activists to free the area. Hours later the activists started burning tires in protest.

Satruday’s cleaning drive in Kiev’s Independence Square, or
Maidan, comes amid the long-time confrontation between the city
administration and activists of the protest movement, who have
been holding the square since November last year and refuse to
leave despite the toppling of the previous government.

This Thursday, an attempt to dismantle the tent camp from Maidan
triggered violent clashes between the protesters and police. The
activists seized some bulldozers and cranes, which city workers
intended to use in the cleaning.

The city announced a ‘subbotnik’, or a voluntary clean-up drive
for Saturday, with many Kiev residents tired of the protest camp
in their neighborhood showing up. Mayor Vitaly Klitschko
participated, tossing several wooden pallets into a truck on
camera.

Klitschko later showed up on TV to announce that his
administration has reached a deal with the protest leaders on
dismantling the barricades. This didn’t stop some activists from
verbally abusing workers and other people involved in the
clean-up. On one occasion they set fire to a barricade of tires,
but the blaze was extinguished by fire crews.

Maidan camp residents say they will not leave the square
completely because they want the new Ukrainian authorities to
remember how they got into power and be accountable to the
people. The Maidan protest movement turned violent and led to an
armed coup in February, which ousted the legitimate Ukrainian
government and replaced it with the politicians currently in
power.